All posts by Sara Luterman

When the trailer for Atypical, a new Netflix series, dropped, the online autistic community shared a collective groan. It's a story we've all seen before: Awkward autistic white guy tries to date girls. Hugh Dancy did it in Adam.
Many autistic people were concerned about poor representation, since the actor playing the main character, Sam, is not autistic. Netflix assured people that the "social production team," whatever that is, included autistic people. The social production team doesn't seem important enough to merit a credit. Their full time consultant appears to be a researcher from UCLA -- Not exactly someone who would be able to provide input on a humanizing portrayal of an autistic person. And it shows. Sam reads like a DSM diagnostic checklist, not a person.
After watching one episode, I feel confident saying that it is exactly as bad as you thought it was. Possibly worse. I … Continue Reading ››

The Interagency Autism Coordinating Committee (IACC) recently recommended that autism research funding double, including an increase to adult services and supports. They also called for an increase in research funding for co-occurring conditions like epilepsy or Ehler-Danlos syndrome, which cause death and chronic pain for many autistic people.
IACC is a government advisory panel made up of federal officials, autism professionals, family members and autistic adults. Currently, only three of the 31 IACC members are autistic. None of the federal members are autistic, nor is their chair. IACC is responsible for setting federal autism research priorities.
John Elder Robison, an autistic member of IACC, is pleased with the increase, as well as increased attention to issues beyond basic biology and genetics. “In accordance with out new President’s wish to make America great and get things done, we have recommended a level of funding that we feel will take us a … Continue Reading ››

TS Eliot was right -- April is the cruelest month. Autism Awareness Month can be an anxious, or at least facepalm-inducing time for many autistic folks, myself included. Whether it's harebrained celebrities endorsing Autism Speaks or President Trump lighting it up blue at the White House, non-autistic people are ready to shout how very aware they are.
With that in mind, here are 5 cringe-worthy autism awareness products for sale this April. These are all real things for sale on the internet. Really.
5. This shirt isn't even blue.
4. Nothing says "love" like what could easily be interpreted as a violent threat by someone very literal. Like say, an autistic person.
Continue Reading ››

Each Friday at NOSmag, I post some links relevant to neurodiversity news and culture criticism around the web. This is what I’ve been reading and that I think you should be reading too. Feel free to add links of your own in the comments and email suggestions for future link roundups to nos.editorial@gmail.com or Tweet us @NOSeditorial.

The Supreme Court has decided that Texas can't use Lennie, a fictional character from Of Mice and Men, as a medical standard when determining whether someone should get the death penalty.

Each Friday at NOSmag, I’m going to post some links relevant to neurodiversity news and culture criticism around the web. This is what I’ve been reading and that I think you should be reading too. Feel free to add links of your own in the comments and email suggestions for future link roundups to nos.editorial@gmail.com or Tweet us @NOSeditorial.